A Montreal series win over Tampa Bay is the exact domino Toronto needs to land Jon Cooper
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Jon Cooper in Toronto? Wild yes, but if the Canadiens upset the Lightning it means that there could be changes in Tampa Bay leading the Maple Leafs to their new man.
If you had to pick one coach who has been as steady and reliable (and successful) then you'd like point towards Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper. He's been behind the bench since 2013 when he took over and boy howdy, did he take over.
Two-time Eastern Conference Champions along with two Stanley Cups, the Lightning dominated the Atlantic for years and have showcased some of the greatest talent in the world like Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Victor Hedman, and Brayden Point to go with about a dozen more.
A collapse against Montreal could lead to Jon Cooper's termination in Tampa Bay
However he also has not really done much in the postseason over the past four years and the Lightning's dominance has waned a bit. With a tough matchup against Montreal, if they end up losing in a genuine upset — it may be the end of the line for Cooper.
Which would be horrible news for fans of Cooper in Tampa Bay but leaves the Toronto Maple Leafs as the perfect team to make your triumphant return.
Cooper might be one of the only names in the world who can manage a bonafide list of stars, but also be able to maximize everyone's potential. There's a reason Canada trusts him to run their bench at the Olympics— he's one of the best.
With Craig Berube's future rocky, if Cooper became available it would instantly be the biggest coup Toronto has made. You're bringing in one of the winningest and most beloved and respected coaches in the world and you'd have to think if Cooper came on board that Auston Matthews may feel a lot more confident.
He holds a career 622-332-89 record which is a career .639 win percentage, and holds an 88-68-0 playoff record.
Do the Maple Leafs even have a shot at landing Cooper?
Well in simple terms, yes. Everyone is technically in play for the Maple Leafs and there's a chance he would love revenge on his former team. Though this is someone who is so deeply engrained in the locker room that it's hard to imagine somebody else.
Cooper has ran the show for 13 years, and beyond John Tortorella, he's the best coach they've ever had. Tampa Bay regardless of winning or losing is going to want him monitoring things for the foreseeable future.
Unlike Mike Sullivan in Pittsburgh, Tampa at least as a lot of fairly young or prime pieces as opposed to an aging roster, so it's not like they are failing; just not as dominant as they once were.
Though that could lead management to feel like Cooper has run his course, and it may lead to his walking papers.
Which is great news for the Maple Leafs, as he can walk right into the Scotiabank Arena and take charge.
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